Thinking About My Dad on Father's Day 2017

It's been seven Father's Days without you, Dad. The last few years, I've been reading your books which means that in a way you are with me quite often and you are still teaching me things (economics, foreign policy, anthropology, philosophy, and physics) and even having fun with me (Cat's Cradle, The Lathe of Heaven, Anathem!). I've branched out a bit too and bought books published by some of your favorite authors after you died.

It's hard that you don't know my children- you would have loved them so much. Your namesake James even plays chess and he's not all that interested in sports. Miranda is just like all your favorite girls were, loud-mouthed and bossy. I'll do my best to try to get them to know you by following your example as a parent: playing with them, answering their questions thoughtfully, and eventually, maybe they'll read your books too. I love you as much as ever and I miss you.

Dad reading in my apartment in Brooklyn in 2010

Dad's Books:
Title- Author- Date Published- Date read

• Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed- Diamond, Jared - 2004 - Jun 17, 2017 
• The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics - Susskind, Leonard - 2008 - May 29, 2017
• Being Peace (Being Peace, #1) - Nhất Hạnh, Thích - 1987 - May 23, 2017
• The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation - Nhất Hạnh, Thích - 1975 - May 16, 2017
• Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy - Stiglitz, Joseph E. 2010 - May 15, 2017 
• Moonraker (James Bond, #3) Fleming, Ian Jan 01, 1955 May 02, 2017 
• The Soft Machine (The Nova Trilogy #1) Burroughs, William S. 1961 Apr 29, 2017 
• Cat's Cradle Vonnegut Jr., Kurt 1963 Apr 24, 2017 
• The Celestine Prophecy (Celestine Prophecy, #1) Redfield, James 1993 Apr 22, 2017 
• Worlds at War: The 2,500-Year Struggle Between East and West Pagden, Anthony - 2008 Apr 21, 2017
• Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy - Chomsky, Noam - Feb 10, 2007 - Apr 12, 2017 
• The Virtue of Selfishness: A New Concept of Egoism - Rand, Ayn 1961 - Apr 04, 2017
• The Beasts of Tarzan (Tarzan, #3) - Burroughs, Edgar Rice 1914 - Mar 21, 2017 
• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values - Pirsig, Robert M. 1974 - Mar 20, 2017 
• Salome - Wilde, Oscar 1891 - Mar 19, 2017 
• Lady Windmere's Fan - Wilde, Oscar 1893 Mar 18, 2017 
• An Ideal Husband Wilde, Oscar Apr 01, 1893 Mar 16, 2017
• Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 Coll, Steve 2004 Mar 15, 2017 
• The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable Taleb, Nassim Nicholas * 2007 Mar 05, 2017
• The Big U Stephenson, Neal * 1984 Mar 02, 2017 
• The Picture of Dorian Gray Wilde, Oscar 1891 Feb 27, 2017 
• The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are Watts, Alan W. 1966 Feb 26, 2017 
• The Lathe of Heaven Le Guin, Ursula K. 1971 Feb 24, 2017 
• Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA Weiner, Tim * Jan 01, 2007 Feb 20, 2017
• The Voyage Out Woolf, Virginia 1915 Feb 13, 2017
• Heart of a Dog Bulgakov, Mikhail 1925 Feb 11, 2017
• Angels and Insects Byatt, A.S. 1992 Feb 07, 2017 
• The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism Capra, Fritjof Jan 01, 1975 Feb 05, 2017 
• Live and Let Die (James Bond, #2) Fleming, Ian Apr 05, 1954 Feb 04, 2017 
• The Trillion Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crash Morris, Charles R. - 2008 - Feb 02, 2017 
• I and Thou Buber, Martin 1923 Feb 2017 
• Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs, #1) Morgan, Richard K. Feb 28, 2002 Jan 31, 2017 [
• The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World Ferguson, Niall Nov 2007 Jan 29, 2017 
• Casino Royale (James Bond, #1) Fleming, Ian 1953 Jan 25, 2017 
• The God Delusion Dawkins, Richard * 2006 Jan 23, 2017 
• Anansi Boys Gaiman, Neil * 2005 Jan 22, 2017 
• De Profundis Wilde, Oscar 1905 Jan 20, 2017 
• When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management Lowenstein, Roger Jan 01, 2000 Jan 15, 2017 
• The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism Bacevich, Andrew J. Aug 05, 2008 Jan 09, 2017 
• The Post-American World Zakaria, Fareed Jan 01, 2008 Dec 30, 2016
• Cryptonomicon Stephenson, Neal * May 1999 Dec 20, 2016 
• The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad Zakaria, Fareed Apr 2003 Dec 20, 2016  
• The Broom of the System Wallace, David Foster 1987 Dec 04, 2016 
• Use of Weapons (Culture, #3) Banks, Iain M. 1990 Nov 23, 2016 
• Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance Chomsky, Noam 2003 Nov 11, 2016 
• The Player of Games (Culture, #2) Banks, Iain M. Aug 1988 Nov 10, 2016 
• Stranger in a Strange Land Heinlein, Robert A. Jul 01, 1961 Oct 25, 2016 
• The Dead Lecturer Baraka, Amiri Oct 1964 Oct 24, 2016
• Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West Brown, Dee 1970 Oct 24, 2016
• Gravity's Rainbow Pynchon, Thomas Feb 28, 1973 Oct 17, 2016 
• I, Robot (Robot #0.1) Asimov, Isaac Dec 02, 1950 Oct 14, 2016 
• The Return of Tarzan (Tarzan, #2) Burroughs, Edgar Rice 1913 Oct 11, 2016 
• Pebble in the Sky (Galactic Empire #3) Asimov, Isaac Jan 01, 1950 Oct 02, 2016 
• Anathem Stephenson, Neal * Sep 09, 2008 Sep 26, 2016 
• Consider Phlebas (Culture, #1) Banks, Iain M. Apr 23, 1987 - Sep 16, 2016
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) Larsson, Stieg Aug 2005 Sep 08, 2016
• The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality Greene, Brian 2003 Sep 06, 2016
• Tarzan of the Apes (Tarzan, #1) Burroughs, Edgar Rice Oct 1912 Aug 29, 2016 
• The Currents of Space (Galactic Empire, #2) Asimov, Isaac 1952 Aug 26, 2016 
• The Stars, Like Dust (Galactic Empire, #1) Asimov, Isaac Jan 01, 1951 Aug 22, 2016 
• I Am America Colbert, Stephen Oct 09, 2007 Aug 21, 2016
• The World Without Us Weisman, Alan Jul 10, 2007 - Aug 17, 2016 
• The Widows of Eastwick (Eastwick #2) Updike, John 2008 Aug 13, 2016 
• Anthem Rand, Ayn May 1938 Aug 11, 2016
• Man's Search for Meaning Frankl, Viktor E. 1946 Jul 11, 2016
• American Gods (American Gods, #1) Gaiman, Neil * Jul 2001 Jun 02, 2016
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide, #1) Adams, Douglas 1979 Apr 27, 2016 
• The Witches of Eastwick (Eastwick #1) Updike, John 1984 Apr 14, 2016 
• Codex Grossman, Lev * Jan 01, 2004 Mar 24, 2016 
• Galaxies Like Grains of Sand Aldiss, Brian W. 1959 Oct 03, 2013 
• Water for Elephants Gruen, Sara * - 2006 - Jun 06, 2010
• Schrödinger's Cat 1: The Universe Next Door Wilson, Robert Anton Nov 01, 1979 Jun 27, 2007
• Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies Diamond, Jared 1997 Jan 2005 
• Civil Disobedience Thoreau, Henry David 1849 Apr 15, 1996 
• Walden Thoreau, Henry David Aug 09, 1854 Apr 26, 1995 
• Have Space Suit—Will Travel Heinlein, Robert A. Sep 01, 1958 Jan 1993